Luxury Peru Outdoor Adventure in the Andes & Amazon - 7 Days

Highlights

• Explore Cusco's cobbled streets and Spanish-colonial landmarks
• Take a rooftop cooking class and learn the secrets of Peruvian cuisine
• Make the pilgrimage to the ancient Inca citadel of Machu Picchu
• Embark on adventures in the Peruvian Amazon and spot exotic wildlife

Brief Itinerary

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Cusco, Gourmet Dinner at PMC

Welcome to Peru! Over the next week, you'll experience what makes this country one of the most popular destinations for lovers of history, adventure, and natural beauty. Upon arrival in the capital of Lima, board a connecting flight one hour south to Cusco. This city in the Andes highlands is famous for its rich history, as it was once the capital of the Inca Empire and, subsequently, a hub for Spanish rule. You'll find many ancient landmarks spanning both these eras—often right next to one another.

At the airport, a driver will transfer you to your hotel, Palacio Manco Capac by Ananay. Located on a hill overlooking Cusco's UNESCO-listed historic center, this 5-star boutique hotel is near the Plaza de Armas (main square). It occupies an elegant 19th-century colonial building featuring just 10 rooms and suites, each beautifully appointed with modern furnishings, local artwork, and extra-large double beds. There's a spa offering a range of rejuvenating treatments, plus a gourmet restaurant serving Peruvian-inspired dishes prepared with locally sourced ingredients—which is where you'll dine tonight.

Day 2: Rooftop Cooking Class, Cusco Walking Tour, Dinner at Chicha 

Rise and shine, as this morning, you'll learn the secrets to preparing Peru's world-famous cuisine! After breakfast, meet a local chef/guide and head to Mercado San Pedro, Cusco's most famous municipal market. There's no better way to know the soul of this city than by browsing its kiosks and marveling at the abundance of fresh produce, which includes many of Peru's thousands of varieties of potatoes. It's also where you'll pick up fresh ingredients for today's very special cooking workshop.

With your supplies in hand, continue on foot to a rooftop kitchen, where you'll don your chef's whites and start cooking amid incredible views of the Cusco skyline. During the workshop, you'll learn the techniques and secrets to producing some of the country's most emblematic dishes. At the end of the experience, everyone will sit down and enjoy these creations for lunch.

After eating, meet another guide for a half-day walking tour of Cusco. Start at the Plaza de Armas, with its 17th-century Baroque/Renaissance Cathedral. You'll also visit Qoricancha (Temple of the Sun), Cusco's religious and political center during the Inca reign of the 15th century. Dinner will be on the plaza at Chicha. This culinary gem celebrates the rich heritage of Peruvian cuisine while incorporating modern techniques. The tasting menu includes classics like ceviche, anticuchos (grilled skewers), quinoa salad, and pachamanca, a hearty stew cooked underground using hot stones.

Day 3: Luxury Train to Machu Picchu, Guided Tour, Return to Cusco

All aboard the exclusive Hiram Bingham train to Machu Picchu! This luxury Belmond train departs from the station in Cusco and is decked out with Art Deco cars with gleaming wood-panel interiors and brass finishes, evoking the 1920s Orient Express. During the four-hour relaxing ride, you'll enjoy first-class service as you marvel at views of the Urubamba River and Andes peaks through the windows. You can spend the journey in the train's observatory bar car, sipping a smart cocktail like a pisco sour before sitting down to a gourmet three-course lunch.

Your destination is the town of Aguas Calientes. This is the main hub for excursions up the mountain to the UNESCO-listed Machu Picchu, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Upon arrival, you'll board a bus for the 25-minute ride up the mountain to Machu Picchu (7,970 feet/2,430 m), which dates to around 1450 CE.

During a tour led by an expert guide, you'll hike around the complex and visit its famous landmarks, including astronomical/ritual stone structures like the Temple of the Sun and the Temple of the Moon. Many landmarks, like the Sacred Plaza and Inca Bridge, showcase the Incas' architectural prowess. The agricultural terraces are also impressive, demonstrating the Incas' skill at cultivating crops on steep hillsides. After the tour, you'll return to the terminal and board a train for the ride back to Cusco, where you'll return to your hotel.

Day 4: Fly to Puerto Maldonado, Transfer to the Tambopata Research Center

Say goodbye to the highlands because this morning, you'll transfer to the airport for the one-hour flight to Puerto Maldonado. Located in Peru's southern Amazon region, this city is a hub for trips to rainforest lodges—exactly where you're going. Upon arrival, you'll hop on a bus for a one-hour ride deeper into the Amazon, followed by a 2.5-hour scenic boat ride on the Río Madre de Dios to your accommodation for the next three nights: Tambopata Research Center.

Situated within the Tambopata National Reserve, this is one of the most remote eco-lodges in South America. It's also one of the most luxurious, featuring spacious rooms and suites with large canopy beds, en suite baths, and open windows looking out to the surrounding rainforest. Other highlights at the lodge include a bar, restaurant, buffet, and a spa where you can enjoy a relaxing treatment after a long day exploring the jungle.

Besides comfort, the real star here is reserve. It covers approximately 1,481 square miles (3,844 sq km), offering the best wildlife-viewing opportunities the Peruvian Amazon has to offer. While at Tambopata, you can explore nearly 1,000 feet (300 m) of elevated walkways between the canopy and the forest floor, where you can view active wildlife in their natural habitat. Exotic specimens you'll spot include toucans, macaws, river otters, various species of monkeys, and, if you're lucky, the elusive jaguar.

Day 5: Tambopata Jungle Activities (Day 1)

The next couple of days will be filled with activities and excursions organized by the Tambopata Research Center. There are many adventures to choose from, too. Perhaps start with a morning birding hike along the elevated walkways near the lodge. On most clear mornings, you'll spot dozens of macaws congregating along the river, creating a dazzling spectacle of color making for an epic photo opportunity. You'll also spot various species of primates in the trees, including capuchin, squirrel, and spider monkeys.

A mere 10 minutes upriver from the lodge is a tiny pond with an elevated platform. This is a great place to spot waterfowl such as Muscovy ducks, sunbitterns, and hoatzins, along with woodpeckers, oropendolas, flycatchers, and parakeets. After spending the day on wildlife hikes through the rainforest, you can return to the lodge for a spa treatment before dinner. Highlight options include deep-tissue massages, Amazon vitality treatments, and happy feet pedicures.

Day 6: Tambopata Jungle Activities (Day 2)

Get your energy this morning during a delicious breakfast buffet featuring fresh Amazonian fruits, among other tidbits. Now that you're fortified for the day ahead, it's time for more rainforest adventures. You can embark on guided jungle hikes along various trails to spot resident wildlife, like tapirs, anacondas, tree frogs, ocelots, and the famous blue morpho butterfly.

If you like, you can meet a local guide at a nearby lake and hop in a wooden canoe for a day trip that takes you deeper into the reserve. The excursion combines a canoe ride with nature hikes through the reserve to Inkaterra Hacienda Concepción. Along the way, you'll spot many interesting animals, including caimans and various monkeys. If lucky, you might even spot an endangered giant river otter.

Day 7: Transfer to Puerto Maldonado, Depart Peru

Wake up early to marvel at one last sunrise over the river and rainforest. Then return to the lodge for a leisurely breakfast. After eating, you'll say goodbye to the jungle and Peru as you make the boat and bus ride back to the airport in Puerto Maldonado, where you'll catch your connecting flight home. Adiós!

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